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Mother tried to get me to bring the neighbor's cat home with me, but the silly thing insisted on sitting in my lap and sprawling across my chest every time she came in. It's nice to be loved, but I just could not imagine trying to get any work done like that.

We are watching my daughter's mini-dachshund, (temporarily, for three years next month). When I type he lounges across my lap and places his head on my left wrist. While I type his little head bobs up and down. Annoying as hell but oh-so-cute. If he didn't bark so much he'd be the perfect dog. Although, because he thinks he's a pit-bull, he's a great watch dog.He's my grand-dogger.

Lisa, I'll take your cold sunshiny November afternoon [altho not the freezing January ice-infested days]. I'm sitting in a hot, dry, windy November afternoon. Californians should buy stock in hand-lotion companies. And the worst part is, yesterday was our one-day-per-week-to-water-the-lawn day. The water evaporated before it hit the ground. I'll probably sneak out after dark on Tuesday, while waving at my neighbors doing the same thing, to give my lawn some hand-watering so it doesn't become a fire hazard in itself.

Petting a cat sounds nice, except in SoCal right now the cat wouldn't agree to be zapped.

Well, we got a foot of snow yesterday so I'm sitting in front of a roaring fire (in a half finished fireplace) and my younger daughter's two cats are wandering through the room, accompanied by my two dobermans who are relentless in their desire to annoy the hell out of the cats. Occasionally, one or the other or all four end up on the couch with me at the same time. The bun is only allowed out of his area when I have time to sit on the floor with him. I have a house full of antiques and he thinks it's his own personal chewing field. I've covered as much as I can in aluminum foil, but there are some spots I just can't cover and they're magnetic to the bun. My house looks like the interior of some crazy person trying to hide from aliens!

Totally understand. My daughter and I rescued a lovely dog- 2-4 yrs old, pug yesterday and we've been trying to name her. Shelter knew nothing of her background but she's finest puppy there ever was. So we must give her a worthy name.

Give Her Duchess my regards and get some well-earned rest, QOTKU. Us minions will keep.

EM: Rescue dogs are the best! I have two: my sweet boy just turned 10--I got him from a shelter where I was volunteering. The klutzy princess is turning two next month--I adopted her at three months from a rescue after my cat passed away. They're the loves of my life, and I often wonder who rescued who. Enjoy your new family member! Lots of puppy cuddles!

We just added cat number three; A ginger tabby with the most incredible markings. He was a cat some British family had for the summer, then deposited it in our east prairie. Wonderful little soul, however he is enamored with our second cat. She however has no interest in the adolescent little soul, she would rather be eviscerating field mice from our north prairie. (I call her "The maiming of the shrew") Our first cat, the american tabby just absorbs sunlight, while reclining on the living room arm chair watching the south prairie.

Enjoy your temporary lodger, they are wise beyond their years, as though enjoying their second time around life. Surely they must be reincarnates, judging our follies. Amuse them, they deserve it.

Hmm, I don't have any pettable pets in Paradise. But as for recent animal sightings, I saw a flying fox last night. Friends down the road evicted a (small) python from under their porch. Geckos scatter to hide behind the curtains every time someone enters a room. And, if I went outside right now, I might be lucky enough to see the pod of dolphins make their daily migration to the next island over. Not pettable, but lovely wildlife all the same.

One of our two dobes is a rescue (one in a long line) and the other was a gift to my oldest from her boss on her graduation from college. She couldn't take the dog with her when she moved. Both cats and the bun are also rescues. Sometimes, I think I can see the joy in their eyes at having a second chance.

@ french sojourn: Bless you for taking in what must have been some form of entertainment to the family that left him. I just don't understand that...

I'm sitting on the couch on a rainy afternoon with the min pin and the cat snuggled next to me. The chihuahua is on the back of the couch with her head on my shoulder. The Princess (my Japanese Chin) is next to the chihuahua and the other cat is on the lounge chair. I am writing, learning lines, and catching up on Antiques Roadshow. I think heaven must look like this.

I can forget trying to write anything during the 2 hour window BEFORE feeding time. My 4 rescue cats sit and stare, and God forbid I stretch or twitch! Any movement results in a flurry of excited yowls, "Thank the furry lord - she's FEEDING us now! Huzzah!" As if they don't get fed two squares a day, every day. Sometimes I give up and feed them early just so I can finish a sentence. Sigh. What would we do without our 4-legged children?

Love all these pet stories! =) Her Grace totally looks like the sort of classy lady who has her portrait refreshed every few years and travels for the London Season. Enjoy her!

I'm apartment-sitting for a friend, and the cat that belongs to the downstairs neighbor keeps coming upstairs and yelling/scratching at the screen door until I let him in to visit and cuddle. Since I grew up on a farm with a bunch of aloof, Katniss Everdeen-type barn cats, the fact that this kitty actually wants to purr and cuddle on my lap is shocking. It's a treat to have a lap cat--especially since today is rainy and cold where I am--but writing? Nope, writing is not happening.

Nightmusic; thanks. Most of our little souls have been rescues, my favorite was Skye, our Aussie Blue Shepard, my heart is still mending with his passing. Just always wanted to give, give, give. Then there was a Corgi...I understand why she was ...anyway, a very loyal soul, never more than two feet away from my wife. My sister Saskia had a Dobie...her two children would climb over her all day, and Sadie (the Dobie) would just watch them with love, always making sure they were O.K. We are better for the little ones with great souls. be well.

Hey Hank, I understand your feelings about Skye. Our Harley passed a few months ago and as I write this tears come to my eyes. If you are lucky enough, live the good life, are kind and believe, the good lord sends you that special Skye or Harley. Actually, even if you're a sh**, sometimes a good one finds a way into your heart.

Carolynn; Harley was as blessed as you were, never forget that. There are so many reiders on this site that have lost lil' dear ones. I think of Donnaeve and her little pups. And your Harley, and all the reiders above...(The jury is still out on Ardenwolfe...although I know most of the punch lines of those jokes...*grin*))

Lots of good stories. Definitely a sucker here for rescue stories :P Daytime job, I'm a vet (cats & dogs) and although we see all kinds, there are so many people who have a warmer heart because of their little furry monsters. I've seen many a gruff soul who would do anything for their 4-legged kiddo. It makes me like the person more than I otherwise would have (a good lesson on perspective for me, or should be). Animals can really bring out compassion!

Time well spent. Nothing is more important than time with your kitty--or your friend's kitty. I'm in bed today with a cold and my Maine Coon is there with me. We must keep the patio door open for the cats. And it's cold. The outside temperature is 20 degrees--Celsius.

Susan, if you want needy try a Golden Retriever. I've had many cats over the years and none hold a candle to our golden. Of course, with their little paws, it's hard to hold a candle.

Mister Furkles: Mikey was a Norwegian Forest Cat, which, to my understanding, might be similar to a Maine Coon? He was a "cool" cat--a miniature mountain lion, my dad called him--who snuck into all of our hearts when we weren't looking. I don't know if I'll have another cat after him--sometimes there's just that special one.

Carolynn: Wanted to share my sympathies for your loss. Kara and Hank are right, I don't think there's anything quite like the love of or for an animal.

Riley has been with me through everything--he saved me more than I could have ever saved him--and my most suffocating fear comes from thinking about the day I'll lose him. Having Moxie has abated that, somewhat. She's opened up another space in my heart, brought a lot of joy and laughter back in there after a lot of heartache, loss, and illness. The thing is, there's no limit to your love for an animal. The same should probably be said about humans, too, but animals...they know it and reciprocate it. They know it. That's what's so special.

Gonna go hug the crap out of my dogs now, whether they like it or not.

Even better than "the dog ate my manuscript" is the old "the cat wouldn't let me write it" excuse. I mean, agents and editors fall for that one, right? Right?

I'm coming up on the one year anniversary (11-26) of losing my first cat, who was 21.5 years old. Never considered myself a cat person until we adopted her from the wilderness of suburbia her and she decided otherwise. We called her Kitty (and sometimes Mitty) because, hello, not cat people. And now I have my daughter's cat, who she rescued from the actual wilderness of the NC mountains, because it turned out my son-in-law has terrible cat allergies. One of the river raft guides had already named her Cauliflower (the cat, not my daughter), so she's stuck with it. She's amazingly friendly and loves to snuggle, a big surprise after the glaring feral attitude of Mitty. Which was, "You'll know I love you if I don't kill you."

Yep, I've decided cats are worth the litter box. Too bad none of our black labs (may they rest in peace) could be trained to use it for anything other than a snack tray.

I knew you Reiders were special. I love all the furry friend stories. My Japanese Chin (Seymour) passed away two years ago. I have been without a dog since so loving having a new furry family member around again.

We are down to three possible names for our little rescue. Trixie, Frankie, or Guppy. I like Trixie- short for Beatrix- but kids aren't sold on it. We must name this dog. We can't keep calling her Dog To Be Named Later. Ugh!

I've worked with several rescues, and have had 2 rescue dogs of my own.

Koko helped me through the toughest period of my life. I might not be here if it weren't for him. Loved that stubborn little guy so much. He held onto his joy for life for years longer than the vets expected. I lost him February 8, 2013, when he was about 16 years old, and I still miss him.

Luckily, a few years before losing Koko, I adopted the pooch I call Little Girl Dog. Sweet, stubborn, and far too energetic. The Energizer Bunny packed into a 10 lb shih tzu/bichon frise cross. She's been helping me a lot, too.

You know, we can love on them and fulfill all their needs and help them in every way possible - but it will never match the love they give us.

Susan: That was how I felt with Koko. I can tell you, it's going to hurt. My best advice is to take very good care of yourself, do things for yourself, and love yourself. And something I didn't take into account was: Little Girl Dog also went through a blue period after we lost Koko. Take care of Moxie and love her, too.

Lotsa (((hugs))) to those who love, to those who have lost, and to those who continue to love the little balls of fur we allow into our souls.

Janet, thank you for letting this writing/agent blog degenerate into a mass of fluffy, furry love :)

Two things and then I'm done. My dobes would let anyone have whatever someone wanted if they broke into the house. If they have a cookie? The dobes will carry everything to the car! But they're velcro dogs and I love them.

It's been a joy having the cats, really. I miss having cats but never again. My husband does not like cats and tolerates them when they're here. Garth seems to know this and climbs all over him. He doesn't like that they get on the counter though so the only cat he and I ever had was a challenge. He thought he could teach the cat to stay off the counter by squirting at it with the SuperSoaker when it was up there. The only thing he managed to teach it was the counters were fair game as long as he wasn't home. I tried to tell him...

Hugs to all of you who have loved and lost a pet. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done, hold my dogs when they're at the end. But I wouldn't have traded a minute without them.

To all of you Dobie lovers: I grew up with dobes all my life, but my favorite dog—the dog that was my childhood pet— was one of the sweetest attention seekers I ever knew.

She made this whimpering whine noise when she wanted attention, but would wait until you gave her the A-okay before she barged right in between your legs. That was her favorite spot—it didn't matter if her tank-like body forced you into the splits, or if you ended up practically sitting on her—she'd stand in that exact spot with an open-mouthed grin and a cocked ear. And the only way you'd get her out of there was if you suggested a race (her vs. you on a bike—first to the mailbox wins).

Well, you haven't been less helpful than my daughter and every person she has ever met. They have all had a say. Trixie was overruled because that's a character in my fantasy series, and well, my daughter is just not doing it. In case I go all George R.R. Martin on my characters in the future. As if!

So now we're calling her Bug the Pug and her actual name will just be her little secret. She is the most adorable dog ever. Whatever her name.

There's a camel farm across the road from us. Ever so often they decide to graze near the fence, and we can see them clearly from our bedroom windows, just 30 metres away. Being able to watch them on such a regular basis makes me feel pretty special. My German Shepherd and Australian Cattle Dog go nuts though, wanting to herd them! It's kinda funny, really.

Ardenwolfe's thoughts on this topic ring with me, it's not that I'm that circumspect, I just can't think of anything fun. There's a ginger mog next door, of the corpulent disposition, which doesn't seem to hinder him assailing fences or such sundry obstacles that might hinder progress to a lawn suitable to deposit a message. Being corpulent of course, he has to a lot to--say.

A few years ago, I had a stray around for a weekend. Waylaid that day, I found her in dismay. Eyes that green seemed apt to label Jade. Up at dawn, she'd post revenge on ginger's lawn. Then she went and I was left forlorn.

Janet has seen just how obtrusive Gossamer the Editor Cat's efforts on my writing behalf can be, but man oh man I would not be without his obstructive assistance. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqnmurH41tQ/VT0v5yle5oI/AAAAAAAAB4c/MPF-O8NR7Vc/s1600/IMG_0301.JPG

2Ns, I've had a head-bobbing typist's assistant before. Awwwwwww!

Jennifer Delozier: "Thank the furry lord" - love! :)

The house I live in is blessed not only with Gossie, but also Penelope (the Publishing Pup), the Carolina dog. And I typed that as Carlolina at first, and she is a constant source of the LOLs, it is true. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRhZNx5HcZ8/VT0tvDr9eOI/AAAAAAAAB4U/0VEEssFZd0Y/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG

What life might be like without either of these two heartbeats, I cannot--will not--even imagine. To call them rescues would indicate more what they do for me than my role in their lives. I live to be good enough for 'em, as I did before with the late, great, Sweet Siddy La. http://dianelmajor.blogspot.com/2012/07/rest-in-peace.html

BJ: I read your comment last night but couldn't respond because I was too busy squeezing the ever-love out of my dogs like I was freakin' Elmyra. Riley looked at me like, "Do we have to do this?" while Moxie was all, "YES!" because she's a snuggler. She likes to climb in your lap, lean against you, and nuzzle underneath you neck--which is adorable until you realize she's 50lbs and you can't breathe.

Riley for me is exactly how you felt about Koko, and for those same reasons. I think that gratitude for them is what makes it that much harder. I've lost dogs before (three within a year and a half due to old age/illness when I was younger), but Riley's my boy. I'm not ready for that; I don't think you ever are. In the meantime, I'll keep hugging him, even when he groans and glares at me during nap time. Grumpy old man.

I echo nightmusic's sentiments! Thanks for letting us gush about our fluffballs. I love this thread.

Hank and nightmusic - Sidney was a 4-year-old rescue whose previous family had let her go because she was not yuppie enough for their lifestyle. Of course this was not the story they'd given the rescue outfit; I heard this from a complete stranger who recognized my girl while I had her out for a walk, who had known the previous people. Siddy was beyond gorgeous, beautifully behaved, perfectly socialized to dogs and people, and an absolute world-class sitting-at-your-feet-while-you-read-or-write girl. I don't know that I was EVER good enough for her, but if I made it halfway I still did better than the previous nimrods, who clearly suffered from some sort of congenital intellectual or emotional malformation.

Idiots, is what I am saying. So as not to use unfriendlier terms.

People who presume animals to be toys or temporary diversions deserve to experience the abandonment they so heedlessly inflict on living beings.

Susan: All you can do is love them forever, knowing they feel the same way. I hope your Riley is with you for a very long time.

Diane: I'm not surprised. I've worked with dog rescue, and I've heard stories like that. I heard one once of a couple who turned their white poodle in to rescue and asked if they had a black one, because they'd changed their home decor. Luckily, the animals get homes that love them through rescue.

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